Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-06-17

Union forces, all OF which tor many
years have been packed in boxe:
aud stored in cellar and attic
!. of the War Department.
am of the opinion that the return of the
flags in the manner thus contemplated
e is not authorized by any existing Law
moi. justified as an executive act. / re-
quest therefore, that no further steps be
taken except to examine and inven-
tory these flags and adopt proper
measures for their preservation. Any
: direction as to the final disposition OF
4: them should originate with Congress"
} Yours truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
ORIGIN OF THE ORDER.
The following statement with regard
to the Presidents action announcing the
proposed return of the battle flags was
| made at the White House tonight to a
representative of the Associated Press:
"When the question was proposed to the
President by the Adjutant General, an
important feature suggested was to re.
turn to the loyal States the flags which
had been captured by the Confederates
and retaken by our army at the time of
the collapse OF the rebellion. They,
with such Confederate flags as had been
captured from the enemy by our
troops had for a long time laid
uncared for and neglected, packed away
in boxes, in the cellar of Che War de.
partment and had been removed to the
attics as better place of pafe keeping.
The disposition of the hsgs which SEEM
ed to be answering no good purpose
where they were, was the main point of
consideration andit was represented to the
President that some of the flags had been
returned to the loyal States upon their
request in individual cases, and the rest
if desired might as well all be returned
together.
MISREPRESENTATION.
The return of the Confederate flags
which were with the Others in the de-
partment was suggested, but there was
not the slightest thought of interfering
in any way with the captured flags now
held by any State, the right OF the de.
partment to make these returns being
questioned by the President. Such
right was distinctly a@erted and
precedents alleged, and, thereupon
his oral assent was given to
the proposed action. The matter was
dismissed from his mind until the CON-
ment thereon within the last day or two
brought it again to his attention, where.
upon after personally examining the law
and considering the subject more care
fully, he satisfied himself that no dispo.
sition of these flags could be made with
out Congressional action, whereupon he
directed the suspension OF operations by
the letter made public this etening.
GEN. DRUM INTERVIEWED.
The Washington special Ito the New
York Evening Post says: 'Adjutant.
General Drum is the only pfrson in au.
thority here who appeared disposed to |
talk about the order relatiye to the re-
turn of the rebel battle fags.i He has a
good right to sDeak, for it ID quite cer- |
tain that the idsa originated with him. |
Adjutant.G General Drum has these tro.
phles in his charge, and what his share
in the matter is can be best learned from |
the following interview:
Q.-"Gen. Drum, you are going to re-
turn to the Southern States all the flags,
standards and colors which were cap.
tured by the Union Army from the Con-
federates during the war;"
Awe are going to return them to
all the states, north and south.
The President has recommended |
that it be done, and | am now having |
full lists made OF all these trophies in
the possession of the department. In
short time we shall have the whole col. |
lection so assorted and so arranged that
we shall be ready to forward to every
State of the Union, flags belong
ing to its State volunteers that fell |
into the hands of the Federal army and |
into the possession of the War Depart |
ment. am having compile inventory |
of them made out, with written state.
ments, to tell briefly as far as is known |
the history of each trophy and the story |
of how it came to be captured and all |
this literature will be completed, and the |
trophies will be ready to be forwarded to |
their destination, in few weeks.
Q-"When the President expressed
his approval of this proposition did he
do it in writing?"
The Attorney General did not give a !
direct answer to this question but init
mated that possibly when the list of
given to the public, letter from Presi-
dent Cleveland on the subject might |
also be made public. When the
President determined that these
flags should be returned was during the |
week of the National drill. This action |
is not due to any pressure or any sug- |
gestion from any outside source. The |
idea originated with the administration. |
1t had been in contemplation in the |
department for long time.
General Drum, of course, speaks OF |
the President in regard to this action, or
if he speaks of another it is only to say |
that the proposition was made to the |
President by Secretary Endicott at the
Cabinet meeting, where it was unani'
mously approved.
An official at the White House, au-
thorized to speak ON the subject, said |
this morning: General Drum seems to |
be the person to talk to about this mat. |
ter. There has been no order |
nor any paper of any kind signed
by the President in relation to it. |
The idea originated in his department |
and has been carried out by the depart.
ment, but the action of the department
is approved here and that seems to be
about all there is to say about it. None
of the Cabinet officers who were APP
preached desired to say anything on the
subject, as it was understood at the
department that the Secretary of War
was not accessible this morning. There
is no doubt, however, that the Presi-
dent and the Cabinet gave their formal
assent to the original suggestion of Ad.
iutant. General Drum.
base Hits.